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Inflamm‐ageing and lifelong antigenic load as major determinants of ageing rate and longevity
Author(s) -
De Martinis Massimo,
Franceschi Claudio,
Monti Daniela,
Ginaldi Lia
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.055
Subject(s) - immunosenescence , ageing , longevity , immune system , immunology , antigen , biology , naive t cell , t cell , t cell receptor , genetics
Immunosenescence is the consequence of the continuous attrition caused by chronic antigenic stress. The most important characteristics of immunosenescence (accumulation of memory and effector T cells, reduction of naive T cells, shrinkage of T cell repertoire, reduction of the immunological space) are compatible with this assumption. Immunosenescence can be taken as proof that the beneficial effects of the immune system, devoted to the neutralization of harmful agents early in life, become detrimental late in life, in a period not foreseen by evolution. This perspective could explain the mechanisms of the ageing process as well as the pathogenesis of age‐related diseases.